Chapter 701 There is a way to have the best of both worlds
"Princess, I know that my family is deeply sinful and I am willing to die, but my sons and daughters-in-law are innocent. Please listen to what I have to say!"
Hearing this, Xiao Nuobao jumped and turned her head in surprise.
She saw a pair of old, red and tearful eyes looking at her pleadingly.
Madam Pei looked haggard and her eyelids were swollen. After kneeling like this, her usual grace and majesty disappeared at this moment.
When Xiao Nuobao saw that it was her, she felt pity and hurried to help her, "It turned out to be Madam Pei, get up and talk quickly."
Madam Pei shook her head, but refused and insisted on kneeling on the ground.
"Princess, as a wife, I failed to fulfill my duty of admonishing the child in time, and I am also guilty of a serious crime. I really dare not bring it up ."
After saying this, Madam Pei picked up another box and presented it to her with both hands.
She continued to sob, "Although I don't understand political affairs, I have read some laws and know that if one person commits treason, the whole family will be exterminated."
"But..." Old Madam Pei's eyes were full of grief, and her clothes were soaked with tears, "But my children are really pitiful and innocent!"
"I gave birth to five sons in total. They were all good and capable men. But when they reached adulthood, they were all sent to the border battlefield by their fathers. They started as small soldiers and risked their lives for our Nanji. Not a single one of them was a rich and noble young man."
At this point, Old Madam Pei burst into tears and her white hair trembled.
"Even...even my fourth son...died at the hands of the rebels of South Vietnam five years ago. He was only twenty years old that year!" Mrs. Pei cried louder and louder, full of sorrow.
After hearing this, Xiao Nuobao also sighed secretly.
In fact, she had known about the affairs of the Pei Mansion for a long time.
Mr. Pei had been an official for many years, and he had no outstanding strengths in political affairs.
But since middle age, he has sent his sons to the battlefield one by one, and only let them start as ordinary soldiers. He is really a model for all officials.
The sons of the Pei family are all very brave in the army.
In this way, Mr. Pei was valued by the emperor at that time, and also welcomed the support of the people, and gradually sat on the position of the Minister of Rites.
There are five sons in the Pei family, and each of them was sent to join the army when they were just young.
To this day, it is almost impossible for the other four sons to return to the capital, and one of them has already passed away, separated from his family.
Jiang Fengze and Xiao Lanyi stood side by side, listening not far away.
They were also sons, and they lowered their eyes slightly, not daring to think about how much pain Mrs. Pei would feel.
So the two of them did not step forward.
It was considered to save Mrs. Pei's dignity.
At this time, Mrs. Pei wiped away her tears, opened the box in her hand, and begged, "Princess, here are all the deeds of my Pei Mansion, the bank deposits, and some hidden assets that are difficult for the court to find. I am willing to offer all my wealth, but I beg the princess to show mercy and spare my sons' lives."
"They haven't even set foot in the capital for seven or eight years. They really don't know about the activities of that old man and the Gu family."
"And my daughters-in-law, although they are stupid, none of them will rebel. Except for the second son's wife, they are all ordinary women. As long as the princess is willing to protect their lives, I am willing to be your cow and horse in the next life to repay your kindness." Mrs. Pei clasped her hands together and looked at the little fat girl almost pleadingly.
The tip of Xiao Nuobao's nose was slightly sour.
It's really pitiful for the hearts of parents in the world.
Mrs. Pei was over sixty years old, and she was still begging so humbly, all for the sake of her children's survival.
At this time, several daughters-in-law of the Pei family also heard this, and they all cried and knelt beside Mrs. Pei.
"Mom, it's all our fault. We were unfilial in the past and often disobeyed you. It's hard for you to plead for us." The third daughter-in-law of the Pei family burst into tears, and her head drooped.
The fourth daughter-in-law of the Pei family also gritted her teeth in shame and cried, "We are shameless and have committed an affair with my father-in-law. Why don't you hate us? You should want us to die!!"
After hearing this, Mrs. Pei took out a silk handkerchief and wiped her tears one by one with a loving face.
"Why should I hate you? If we talk about injustice, it's all the fault of that old man."
"To be honest, you are also pitiful. You are a married woman, but your husband went to the battlefield right after you got married. You have hardly seen each other for several years. That old man separated us for his own career, and forced you and your husband to become strangers. Why should I make things difficult for you?" Old
Lady Pei said, and then smoothed the hair of her daughters-in-law and helped them to fix their buns.
She turned her head and looked at Xiao Nuobao and said, "Princess, we are the ladies of the royal family. It's hard to live like this. We have to rely on men for everything. Now, even men who want to rebel are forced to be implicated. Please give them a chance to live for the sake of my daughters-in-law." "
Mother!"
"We were unfilial in the past!"
"Princess, we will die if we die. Please spare our mother-in-law." Madam Pei Xiaoshao also came from behind, covering her mouth and sobbing.
For a while, the women of Pei's house all cried with their heads in their hands.
The grievances in the concubines in the past were all gone at this moment.
Seeing them like this, Xiao Nuobao felt a little uncomfortable, as if her heart was tightly grasped by something.
In fact, whether it was Madam Pei or her daughters-
in-law, they were all implicated by Master Pei.
If they were beheaded for this, although it would be in accordance with the law, it would be too cold-blooded in terms of human nature.
Xiao Nuobao took a deep breath, and with red eyes, she turned back to look at Jiang Fengze.
"Third brother, they actually did nothing wrong. Do we really have to take their lives because of the harsh law?" She said in a baby voice with pain.
Jiang Fengze was of course reluctant, but this was a matter of treason after all. If it was not handled properly, how could it serve as a warning to the world.
At this moment, Xiao Lanyi seemed to have thought of something. She stepped forward and hugged the little fat girl's shoulders, and said seriously, "Rebellion and treason will implicate the whole family. This is stipulated in our Nanji law. There is absolutely no leeway!"
When the women of the Pei family heard this, their faces turned pale and their hearts seemed to fall into the abyss.
"However." Suddenly, Xiao Lanyi cleared her throat again and changed the subject, "Ahem, the outside world doesn't know about this yet. If the women of the Pei Mansion can sever their ties with the Pei family before the Ministry of Justice convicts them, then they will not be implicated and it will not be considered a violation of the law."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Nuobao's eyes lit up instantly.
She almost clapped her hands!
Yes, if these women divorced their men from now on!
Then from now on, they would have nothing to do with the Pei family.
Of course, they would not be implicated again!
"Oh, I remember that the fourth and fifth elder brothers said that the reason we were able to arrive here smoothly this time was because of the young lady of the Pei family who led the way. The laws of the Southern Ji are strict. Those who are guilty will be punished, and those who are meritorious will of course be rewarded. So as long as they divorce the men of the Pei family, I can guarantee that they will be safe in the future." Jiang Fengze said with a righteous look on his face.
After hearing this, the young lady of the Pei family was extremely happy, tears burst out, and she hugged her sisters-in-law.
"That's great!"
"Thank you, Princess, thank you, uncle, and thank you, Mr. Xiao, for your help!" They hurriedly knelt down to thank them.
Divorce?
When Mrs. Pei heard these two words, her eyes were blank for a moment, and she lowered her eyes and was stunned for a moment.
"I am over sixty years old. My family has been in decline for many years. My relatives are long gone. I am divorced from my husband at this age. I am afraid that the world will laugh at me." She murmured in a low voice, revealing bitterness.
Xiao Nuobao strode forward, held her hands, and helped her up.
"Madam Pei, no, you are not a member of the Pei family from now on, so I will call you grandma instead."
"People live for only a few short decades. Why live in other people's rumors? Let yourself live happily, be happy, and hate those gossipers. This is the serious thing!" Xiao Nuobao's eyes were sparkling, and he smiled encouragingly at her.
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